FortSask

Repairs on the Highway 15 pedestrian bridge are completed. 

After several weeks of being closed, one of the two bridges across Highway 15 reopened for public use on Tuesday (Oct. 4).

Access to the bridge was restricted after a vehicle carrying an oversized load struck the bridge in mid-July. 

Although work on the overhead portion of the bridge is complete, there is still construction happening underneath.

Traffic will still be restricted to a single lane until further notice. 

Travellers on Highway 2 can expect delays at the CN overpass near Morinville.

The northbound bridge on the CN overpass will be closed to all traffic for a bridge replacement project. The southbound bridge will remain open for traffic with reduced speed limits.

Drivers should expect delays and adjust their commute and travel times accordingly.

According to the provincial government, the project is expected to be completed in the fall of 2023.

The Alberta Society for Injured Birds of Prey hosted their second Fall Release Day on Sunday (Oct. 2) where they launched two raptors, a Broad-winged Hawk and a Swainson's Hawks.

The society gets calls about injured or starving birds in the area -- they'll arrive to take them in and nurse them back to health before releasing them into the wild.

This Broad-winged Hawk was found starving not far from the area about a month ago. The society arranged for the hawk to be sent to their shelter.

If you hear sirens in Fort Saskatchewan this week there will be no need to worry. 

The city will be testing its emergency siren system this Thursday (Oct. 6) between the hours of 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. as part of Fire Prevention Week. 

The sirens will not be alerting to any threat to public safety. 

These sirens are in place to warn residents of emergencies in the community such as: 

Changes are coming to labs at the Fort Saskatchewan Community Hospital and the Strathcona County Health Centre. 

Effective December 5, urgent-care labs in both places will shift their focus to emergency, inpatient, and ambulatory patients. Community patients will be directed to independent labs in the community. 

The change will affect several other hospitals across the Edmonton area, and will only be implemented in areas where community labs are already in operation. 

JUNO Award winner Serena Ryder is coming to the Shell Theatre.

Ryder will be performing on Oct. 6 at 7:30 p.m. as part of The Art of Falling Apart Tour.

The tour is named after her recent album of the same name. She describes it as the "most authentic" album she's released so far as it dives into themes of mental wellness and the journey towards good health. The album won Adult Contemporary Album of the Year at the 2022 JUNO Awards.

Tatyanna Harrison’s 21st birthday would have been on Sept. 29.

Her mother described Tatyanna, whose body was found in Vancouver earlier this year, as a courageous woman with the gift of gab and a deep love for learning.

“It affected (Tatyanna) deeply to witness anything that was unfair or cruel. She wasn't afraid to use her voice to speak on it and this has always been the core of who she was,” Natasha Harrison said.

“I know in my heart she wouldn't be OK with the injustice surrounding her passing.”

Legislation to temporarily double GST rebates to help low- and modest-income Canadians cope with high inflation is expected to pass the House of Commons later this week.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says the measure is "a balance between compassion and fiscal responsibility."

Freeland appeared at the House of Common Finance Committee Monday where she commended MPs from all parties for supporting the measure.

The bill is expected to come to a final vote in the House of Commons Thursday, after which it will be sent to the Senate. 

Chuck Larsen has lived on Sanibel Island for 12 years and until last week had never experienced a major hurricane. The 76-year-old who moved from California decided to ride out Hurricane Ian in his condominium with little idea of the horror he was about to go through.

He filled his bathtub with water, stocked up on food and water, and made sure batteries were charged and his windows were rated to withstand 150 mph (240 kph) winds. He followed the forecast thinking the island would get strong wind and rain, and trees would fall, but areas to the north would take the hardest hit.

Fort Saskatchewan residents can expect construction on the new Highway 15 bridge to wrap up in about two weeks. 

Members of the provincial government were in the city on Monday (Oct. 3) afternoon to give an update on the project, which includes twinning a portion of the busy highway. 

Alberta transportation minister, Prasad Panda, is proud of the work being done.